Last Saturday was the civil wedding of one of my best and oldest friend. I was one of the bridesmaids. We met when we were 14 years old. I just realized that we’ve been friends for 18 years … This is scary how time flies ! We’ve been through a lot of first times and laughs and tears together during those all this years.

We don’t talk or see each other as much as we used to a few years ago but I’m so happy that we are still part of each others’ lives. I think that it’s not easy to keep your friends through the years especially when you met really young. You grow up, you change, you make new friends, you lose each other and then you reunite. I think that it’s difficult to find the good balance but when you do after so many years you know that it’s a True Friend.

This is really funny because I learnt at their engagement party that I was a bridesmaid. All the evening I was intrigued because she wanted me to be on the future bridesmaids pictures and then one of the bridesmaid was talking about what we should do for the wedding etc … I was thinking that they all wanted to be nice to me and to prevent me from feeling rejected or something …

And then we were having dinner and I was sitting close to my friend. We were having a conversation and suddenly she came up with « I hope you will as a Bridesmaid ! ». Big Silence. Awkward. Me : « Am I a Bridesmaid ? ». She looked surprised and said « Of course you are ». Me : « Great but I didn’t know because you didn’t ask me ». Her : « Of course I did, remember, I asked you at that dinner a few months ago ! » Me : « No I would remember … ». My friend looked embarrassed and we all started laughing, she came next to me, hugged me and asked me : « Would you be my bridesmaid ? ». Me laughing « Of Course I will ». This is just how my friend is and that’s why I love her. She told me that it was such an evidence for her that she really thought that she asked me !

I am really sad because I had to tell her that I might not be able to be there for the church wedding and the big party and that really breaks my heart. I was almost crying on the phone. The thing is , I am starting a new job ten days prior to the wedding day who will be in the South of France. In my new airline if you want to ask for a day off you need to do it 6 weeks prior the D-Day. So I tried my best to ask them during my training in February and my flights in April … But I will have my schedule only when I will start working … I am really sad about it. I want to see my friend in her wedding dress … This is the main thing I hate about my work. Missing on important family and friends life events ..

Other than that I made pie crust. I am really proud of myself. I used to failed and being scared by pie crusts of all kind for years. During my internship I asked them if they could show me how to make basic pie crust. Then I came back home and I failed at my first attempt. And then it happened. A few weeks ago I succeeded at pâte sablée, which is my favorite crust. And then I succeeded at this pie crust which is now my second favorite pie crust … It’s flaky, crunchy, buttery…. My mom and my brother loved it. You will too !!

So what about you ? Do you still have friends from when you were a kid or a teenager ? Do you like pie dough ?

All Butter Flaky Pie Crust (1x 9-inch pie crust) :

Ingredients :

- 160g /5.6 oz / 1 &1/4 cups all purpose flour

- 5g / 0.2 oz / 1 tsp granulated sugar

– 1/2 tsp salt

- 113g / 4 oz/ 1/2 cup butter, cubed and ice cold

- 60g / 2.1 oz / 1/4 cup water, ice cold

Hand Method :

– In a large bowl, whisk flour, salt and sugar.

– Cut the ice cold butter into cubes and rub them into the dry ingredients, using your fingertips or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (The butter should be the size of peas.)

– Stir in ice water, one tablespoon at a time until the dry ingredients are incorporated, just until the dough comes together, Be really careful to not overmix it ! The butter should be still visible. If it’s too dry and crumbly , do not hesitate to add a little more water.

– Using your hands, shape the dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

– Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and butter 9-inch pie pan.

– Roll out the crust to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Place and slightly press evenly into the bottom and the sides of the buttered pie pan. Refrigerate for 30 more minutes.

– If you need to blind bake it, line the pie crust with parchment paper or aluminium foil. Fill it with pie weights or with dry beans if you don’t have any. Make sure that they are evenly distributed.

– Bake for about 15 minutes or until the edges are slithgly golden. Remove the pie crust from the oven. Remove parchment paper or foil and pie weights.

– Put it back it the oven for 10 minutes, or until the bottom looks dry. If you won’t bake the filling inside bake it for about 10 more minutes or until it looks good to you.

– Remove from the oven and depending on your recipe put the filling in and bake, or let cool on a wire rack , fill it while cold or still warm, according to your recipe .

– Eat it !

Food Processor Method :

– Measure flour, salt and sugar into the bowl of a food processor with the metal blade on and pulse a few times to mix.

– Add the cold butter cubes and pulse a few more times until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (The butter should be the size of peas.)

– Pour in the ice water in two times and pulse a few more times, just until the dough comes together. Be really careful to not overmix it ! The butter should be still visible. If it’s too dry and crumbly , do not hesitate to add a little more water.

– Using your hands, shape the dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

– Preheat the oven to 400°F (210°C) and butter a 9-inch pie pan.

– Roll out the crust to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Place and slightly press evenly into the bottom and the sides of the buttered pie pan. Refrigerate for 30 more minutes.

– If you need to blind bake it, line the pie crust with parchment paper or aluminium foil. Fil lit with pie weights or with dry beans if you don’t have any. Make sure that they are evenly distributed.

– Bake for about 15 minutes or until the edges are slithgly golden. Remove the pie crust from the oven. Remove parchment paper or foil and pie weights.

– Put it back it the oven for 10 minutes, or until the bottom looks dry. If you won’t bake the filling inside bake it for about 10 more minutes or until it looks good to you.

– Remove from the oven and depending on your recipe put the filling in and bake, or let cool on a wire rack, fill it while cold or still warm, according to your recipe .

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I’ve been watching a lot of tv lately. Which is pretty unusual for me … I can spend days without using it and I even lived several years without even owning one. The only reason I own one now is because my mom gave it to me when she bought a new one. She asked me if I wanted it and I accepted because well.. It was free. I said that I would never pay for a tv.

I even stopped watching TV shows for a while because I got tired of them, I watched too many I guess. But lately I decided to watch a few ones like Smash (they stopped it after two seasons, I was really sad about it), Nashville, New Girl and Catfish the TV show from time to time. And since Nashville and New Girl third seasons are over, I might try to catch up on Once Upon A time and Witches of East End …

The thing is that when you start watching tv you do less and less things and I have to say that those last weeks of TV watching had been pretty unproductive, lazy weeks. The truth is that TV is a lot like comfort food to me. I used to watch it at my parent’s house and the fact to put it on is like being at home and it feels good and reassuring.

I think that a lot of people that live alone just like to put the tv on while they are doing other things around the house just because it has the power to fill up the room and your place. It’s like somebody’s with you. One more time It’s comforting. Even though I watched a lot of tv, I didn’t get to the point of just sitting there while zapping and watching whatever was on. The good thing about replay nowadays is that you can pick wisely what you wanna watch.

In my case, you guessed it, it’s mainly food shows. In France like almost everywhere else in the world I guess they are very popular now. So I’ve been watching religiously « The Best Bakery of France » (« La Meilleure boulangerie de France »). It’s a great show, you get to discover a lot of differents bakeries and their signature bread or pastry, how it’s done and they end up with a contest. It’s really impressive and what I like about it is that you learn a lot of things.

Second show that it’s on once a week since last week is « Who will be the next best Pastry Chef » season two which is a lot like Top Chef Dessert. I love it too. One more time it’s really impressive to see them work.. Then you have small shows about the last food tendencies amongst other things.. Well ok I admit that I watched a lot of food tv lately !

A lot of food tv and Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition. I’m always so impressed by those people that have the courage, yes the Courage to get in that fight against their weight. I usually cry a lot watching that show. (Well I cry easily ) But it’s really motivating because it makes you think that if they are able to lose 200 pounds it should be easy for you to lose 9 pounds … It should be.

Anyway so in between culinary shows I had to do something about the rhubarb that I was so excited to buy in the first place. I love it. But one more time I didn’t wanted to make something to eat for 12 persons … I wanted to do something I could eat reasonably on my own. Then I thought about this gourmet rhubarb jam that my mom always buys and that I love to spread on toast … It was the perfect idea. I loved it. It is so easy to do and so good !! You should try it ! I like it on the tart side so maybe that you would have to increase a bit the sugar if you prefer it on the sweet side. Let me know what you think !

So what about you ? Do you watch a lot of TV ? What are your favorite TV Shows ?

Rhubarb Vanilla Jam (About one cup )

Ingredients :

– 250g / 9 oz / 2 cups (about 3-4 rhubarb stalks )

- 150g / 5.3 oz/ 3/4 cup granulated sugar

- 15g / 0.5 oz / 1 Tbps water

- 15g / 0.5 oz / 1 Tbsp Lemon juice

– 1 vanilla pod, split and scraped

Steps :

– Rinse, peel, trim the ends and slice the rhubarb into small chunks, about 1-inch.

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